Learning vocabulary with online programs
The most boring thing for students who learn a new language is vocabulary learning. But at the same time it is the most important thing at the beginning to learn new words to express yourself in another language. How is it possible to motivate students to learn vocabulary? There are lots of opportunities like playing vocab games or doing worksheets with funny texts where students have to fill in gaps. These are good alternatives to the monotonous vocabulary learning and then writing a test.
But there are other, more innovative, possibilities to get your students into the process of vocabulary learning with fun. This is possible with online tools like www.learningchocolate.com or http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary_games.html. These are only two examples; there are lots of other possibilities on the web to learn vocabulary. If you click on the first link you will find a webpage where it is possible to learn new words with the help of pictures. Visualization helps students to learn new words because if they remember the pictures, it is easier to remember the words. Furthermore, it is important that they can listen to the pronunciation of the word, which is also possible with this program. It is not enough to only know the meaning and the spelling of a word, but also its pronunciation. Moreover, it is possible to play vocabulary games with this program. If you introduce it to your students and tell them that they can play games with it, it will be more efficient than telling them to learn vocabulary by heart. The students can choose the grade there, so the level of the game is fitting to the students’ knowledge. I think this is a good alternative to the “normal” vocabulary learning because the students are more motivated because of nice pictures and rewarding for good results.
The other e-learning program is divided into different topics of vocabulary learning. The student can choose different games that consider antonyms, compounds, contractions or syllables for example. Every individual game only practices this certain feature. I think this is a disadvantage, because the students cannot learn some of the aspects in only one context. It is good that they learn something about antonyms and synonyms, but this knowledge is only learned separately which is a big problem.
All in all, it is to say that such vocabulary learning programs are good addition to the normal vocabulary learning methods. In my point of view it is necessary to just copy the new words into an exercise book and then learn them by heart. This is a very traditional method but the most efficient one. Online games are good to practice and to learn words playfully, but it cannot serve as a substitution for the boring but very useful vocabulary learning by heart.
That is what the two webpages look like:
But there are other, more innovative, possibilities to get your students into the process of vocabulary learning with fun. This is possible with online tools like www.learningchocolate.com or http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary_games.html. These are only two examples; there are lots of other possibilities on the web to learn vocabulary. If you click on the first link you will find a webpage where it is possible to learn new words with the help of pictures. Visualization helps students to learn new words because if they remember the pictures, it is easier to remember the words. Furthermore, it is important that they can listen to the pronunciation of the word, which is also possible with this program. It is not enough to only know the meaning and the spelling of a word, but also its pronunciation. Moreover, it is possible to play vocabulary games with this program. If you introduce it to your students and tell them that they can play games with it, it will be more efficient than telling them to learn vocabulary by heart. The students can choose the grade there, so the level of the game is fitting to the students’ knowledge. I think this is a good alternative to the “normal” vocabulary learning because the students are more motivated because of nice pictures and rewarding for good results.
The other e-learning program is divided into different topics of vocabulary learning. The student can choose different games that consider antonyms, compounds, contractions or syllables for example. Every individual game only practices this certain feature. I think this is a disadvantage, because the students cannot learn some of the aspects in only one context. It is good that they learn something about antonyms and synonyms, but this knowledge is only learned separately which is a big problem.
All in all, it is to say that such vocabulary learning programs are good addition to the normal vocabulary learning methods. In my point of view it is necessary to just copy the new words into an exercise book and then learn them by heart. This is a very traditional method but the most efficient one. Online games are good to practice and to learn words playfully, but it cannot serve as a substitution for the boring but very useful vocabulary learning by heart.
That is what the two webpages look like:
